Creating & Using Design Boards

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by April Force Pardoe

Design boards are a great way to collect and view selections for an interior design project. Design boards range from an actual paper board with pictures cut and pasted on it to an electronic file with images posted on a page. If you've ever wondered how interior designers pull their ideas together for review or if you've ever struggled with making selections for your home, design idea boards are the solution!

As a designer, I create design boards for client projects and for my own home projects. Most of my design boards aren't actual boards, but are created on my computer using software (InDesign or Pages) or online tools. A few of my favorite online tools are polyvore.com and Olioboard.com, but there are MANY out there. The online tools allow you to place all project selections in one place so you can see them together before making a final decision on a piece.

Below are a few examples of design boards I've created for past projects.

{Design idea board created for Washington Post's House Calls, created in InDesign, by AFP Interiors}

By placing all of the selections in one place you are able to see how they relate to each other, to see similarities in lines, colors, scale and textures. Sometimes placing everything in one place is part of the brainstorming process. Once seen together it's clear that some items don't work and other do. A clear winner often shines via this process.

Use design boards as a way to begin a project in your home. Collect images of colors, furniture and accessories you like from websites and/or take pictures of items in your favorite stores and place them all on one design board to see what works and what doesn’t. It will help you see how everything relates. It’s a great and easy tool!

Feeling creative? Start a design idea board for your next project. Feeling like you want it done for you? Contact AFP Interiors!

April Force Pardoe is interior designer and owner of AFP Interiors.

"What excites me about my work as an interior designer is the look of absolute delight that shows up on my clients’ faces when they see their finished rooms. Their ‘wow’ reaction lets me know that my listening skills and ability to envision what they could not see, has made a profound and happy impact that will last for years."